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IWETHEY Home / IWETHEY Board / Money, Financials, and Economics Forum / HMS Sheffield
Post #399,033
by gcareaga
2/10/15 9:35:56 AM
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New HMS Sheffield
The Argentines managed to sink the Sheffield with one Exocet, not because of the payload of the missile, but because the aluminum superstructure of the ship ignited. As the crew fought the fire with water, the aluminum oxidized, releasing hydrogen in hot and confined spaces. The hydrogen exploded, more aluminum ignited, etc. They finally extinguished the fire by cleverly submerging the vessel.

American Spruance class destroyers of similar construction were quietly retrofitted with steel superstructures or retired.
Post #399,039
by pwhysall
Picture of pwhysall
2/10/15 6:07:18 PM
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New Nice theory, not true.
Post #399,041
by scoenye
2/10/15 7:51:07 PM
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New But that is how it was reported at the time
The letter below made it to the NY Times Editor, but I can't recall that information ever coming back into the news cycle in Continental Europe. Things just kept going forward as the conflict developed.

http://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/03/opinion/l-aluminum-s-not-to-blame-for-warship-loss-251244.html
It's unfortunate, but understandable, that the fast-paced action of war often leads to erroneous reports of what is actually happening. The continuing circulation of misinformation concerning the sinking of H.M.S. Sheffield and H.M.S. Coventry in the Falkland Islands conflict is an example.

A number of media continue to report that H.M.S. Sheffield had an aluminum superstructure. This is alleged to have led to the sinking of the ship after it was struck by an Argentine Exocet missile.
Post #399,063
by a6l6e6x
Picture of a6l6e6x
2/11/15 3:48:31 PM
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New And no one likes to spoil a good story.
Alex

"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

-- Isaac Asimov
     interesting $60 per hour to work on steel $120 an hr to work on aluminum - (boxley) - (11) - Jan. 29, 2015, 04:00:03 PM EST
         It's quite more malleable; takes more skill not to ruin it. Sounds a bargain. -NT - (Ashton) - (1) - Jan. 30, 2015, 12:17:45 AM EST
             eh? having made copper etchings as a tad - (boxley) - Jan. 30, 2015, 09:14:39 AM EST
         Audi used to make the A8 from aluminum - (malraux) - (8) - Jan. 30, 2015, 09:31:16 AM EST
             Also, you can't apply solder or lead to Aluminum. - (Andrew Grygus) - (3) - Jan. 30, 2015, 11:27:40 AM EST
                 But, there is aluminum brazing. - (a6l6e6x) - (2) - Jan. 30, 2015, 08:42:29 PM EST
                     MIG (MGAW) welding works well on aluminum. - (hnick) - (1) - Jan. 31, 2015, 06:32:45 AM EST
                         I learned to do that in metalwork at school - (pwhysall) - Feb. 2, 2015, 03:05:17 AM EST
             HMS Sheffield - (gcareaga) - (3) - Feb. 10, 2015, 09:35:56 AM EST
                 Nice theory, not true. - (pwhysall) - (2) - Feb. 10, 2015, 06:07:18 PM EST
                     But that is how it was reported at the time - (scoenye) - (1) - Feb. 10, 2015, 07:51:07 PM EST
                         And no one likes to spoil a good story. -NT - (a6l6e6x) - Feb. 11, 2015, 03:48:31 PM EST

He clearly said, "To blave".
101 ms